Venice Film Festival - The Oldest Film Festival in the World Venice Film Festival written by: Ashley Leonard•edited by: Rhonda Callow •updated: 9/23/2010 The oldest film festival in the world is the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy. As one of the most influential film festivals, it can take a filmmaker's career to the next level. slide 1 of 5 History The Venice International Film Festival was founded in 1932 in Venice, Italy, making it the oldest film festival in the world. The film festival was founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi di Misurata and it was initially held on the terrace of the Hotel Excelsior in Venice. Very few countries participated in the festival in the 1940's, because of World War II. In the 1950's, more countries started to participate and the Venice Film Festival expanding internationally. New films from Japan and India began to screen at the film festival. In its early days, with new genres of film, the Venice Film Festival began to make its mark in the world. This film festival helped directors early in their careers. slide 2 of 5 The Festival The Venice Film Festival is held every September.

The film festival accepts films from all over the world. Films are chosen by a group of jurors, who range from Quentin Tarantino and many other individuals in the film industry. The Venice Film Festival accepts short films, as well as feature films. The festival spans eleven days, which are filled with various film events and activities. slide 3 of 5 Awards The Venice Film Festival distributes several awards during the 11-day run. The Gold Lion is the highest award given, which is the festival principle award for best film. The Silver Lion is the second runner's up to the Gold Lion award. The Silver Lion is the second highest film award at the festival. Along with the Lion awards, the jury awards a film the Special Jury Prize every year. The jury at the Venice Film Festival chooses films for the Special Jury Prize based on a variety of factors. The Volpi Cup is an award that is given out to actors with the best performance. The Venice Film Festival also distributes the Golden Osellas award to directors, screenwriters and other individuals in the film industry. slide 4 of 5 Entry Fees The entry fees for the Venice Film Festival vary every year.

Updated information on entry fees are displayed on the film festival's website , a few months before the actual event. When filmmakers are submitting their films to the Venice Film Festival, an entry form must be filled out and included with each submission. The Venice Film Festival showcases short films and feature length films, which range from work from emerging directors and blockbusters from the most experienced filmmaker. Entry into the Venice Film Festival is a coveted position and the selection committee screens every film, looking for the best and most unique. slide 5 of 5 Link to the Academy Awards The Venice Film Festival has screened films that have been Oscar contenders. Many high profile films have screened at the film festival before they were nominated for Academy Awards, in several categories. The Venice Film Festival brings out high profile actors, who are there to promote their film. The festival has also showcased emerging cinema from all over the world, places such as Europe, Asia and Africa. ◄ ● ● ● ● ● ► From the Inside of a Tank: Israeli Film Wins Venice Grand Prize. The Film that Haughty Jane Fonda Wants No One To See | New Republic From the Inside of a Tank: Israeli Film Wins Venice Grand Prize.

The Film that Haughty Jane Fonda Wants No One To See By Martin Peretz September 12, 2009 The Venice Film Festival is the oldest celluloid gala in the world. Not as vaunted and haunted by the publicity machines but intellectually more serious than Cannes. The Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica di Venezia, a most prestigious element of the Venice Biennale, bestowed its Golden Lion award, its top honor, on an Israeli film called Lebanon. It is a relentlessly honest film about war itself but also specifically about Israel's first real war in Lebanon. (There had been skirmishes before, especially in 1978, and more than skirmishes since, as in 2006.) Read about this motion picture in The Jerusalem Post and Ha'aretz . I have not yet seen Lebanon. But I know what it is, given the characteristically (and thank God) self-conscious and self-critical disposition of all of Israel's arts. Yes, they fight heroically but they also ponder. Would that there were even a bit of this doubt or even detachment among Arab intellectuals and artists. Alas, there isn't.

The Arab dissident has left for the West or is silent. Lebanon is actually shot through the eye of an Israeli tank, mostly to the crew inside but also to those outside, targets and not targets. You can imagine the drama of a handful of guys in the bowels of a Merkava I, a tiny enclosed space, for days at a time. This is theatre verité in spades. The film was launched with the support of the private and official patrons of the industry and, of course, without interference from them. In Israel, hyper-critical artists like Ohad Naharin, the director of the Batsheva Dance Company, receive the Israel Prize. The money comes from the government. I actually thought that Naharin shouldn't get the cash. A person who attacks his society as viciously as he does needn't receive cash awards from the pockets of his people. The Biennale award-winner is the third recent Israeli film to focus on Lebanon.

The first was Beaufort; the second was Waltz with Bashir, a searing movie that seemed to forget that the massacre of Palestinians at Sabra and Shatila were carried out by a cohort of pious Christian murderers, the self-styled carriers of European civilization, Maronites who genuflect before the Holy Father. Enough of my defensiveness. As you may recall, I wrote earlier this week about Jane Fonda and her comrades--Alice Walker, Danny Glover and about fifty other literati, mostly unknown--who are boycotting and asking others to boycott the Toronto Film Festival because the celebration also honors the hundredth anniversary of the city of Tel Aviv and its remarkable film culture. The lead Israeli film at Toronto is Ajami, a film already honored at the Jerusalem Film Festival and which received a Camera d'Or at Cannes. This movie, co-directed by an Israeli and an Arab, is an intricate screen piece about Jews and Palestinians that challenges, even defies the imagination. Jane Fonda does not want you to see this... or any Israeli film, for that matter. She is a totalitarian in her guts. And so are her comrades.

They are the ones in our culture who want to cut off talk about Israel and Palestine because they are politically allergic to anything but the amuletic formula of their political phantasy, "whatever the Palestinians want, the Palestinians get." This, as I've said, is a formula for Palestinian political suicide which, I am afraid, the president is also indulging. But that's another matter, better left for any time. Read More Sign up for your daily dose of politics, culture, and big ideas. Sign Up World’s Oldest Film Festival Opens With Star Line-Up | SPYHollywood World’s Oldest Film Festival Opens With Star Line-Up By Crone Slivers on July 30, 2016 The Venice Film Festival revealed a star-filled line-up for its 73rd annual edition on Thursday, featuring top Hollywood names and auteur directors in a wide selection of U.S. and international movies. The world’s oldest film festival will open with Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land”, starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling in a musical romantic comedy-drama about a jazz pianist who falls in love with an aspiring actress in Los Angeles.

In competition for the top prize are 20 films, including Ana Lily Amirpour’s “The Bad Batch”, a black comedy about cannibals in a Texas wasteland, and fashion designer Tom Ford’s thriller “Nocturnal Animals”, featuring Jake Gyllenhaal and Amy Adams. Serbian director Emir Kusturica will be also be vying for the Golden Lion award with his “Na Mlijecnom Putu” (On the Milky Road), featuring himself and Monica Bellucci in a story that stretches through war, love and living as a reclusive monk. Other films in the main line-up include German director Wim Wenders’ “Les Beaux Jours d’Aranjuez”, Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve’s “Arrival”, Dutch director Martin Koolhoven’s “Brimstone” and Russia’s Andrei Konchalovsky with “Rai” (Paradise). Pablo Larrain’s biopic “Jackie” starring Natalie Portman as first lady Jacqueline Kennedy in the aftermath of her husband’s assassination was added to the competition at the last minute.

The festival’s artistic direct Alberto Barbera said that this year’s films spoke about universal themes but took a more subtle and less graphic approach to depict day-to-day life, violence and poverty than in previous editions. “The great themes, philosophical and existential questions…this time are approached with film-makers taking a distance from the brutality of reality,” he told a press conference announcing the line-up. “So there are no more scenes of everyday life or footage of today’s wars, but the great themes are still there. It is not an escape from the contemporary world, it is used as a way to reflect on today’s world in a different way.” The first two episodes of Paolo Sorrentino’s hotly anticipated mini TV series “The Young Pope”, featuring Jude Law as a cigarette-smoking American pontiff Pius XIII, will screen in an out-of-competition section. Mel Gibson’s “Hacksaw Ridge”, based on the true story of a World War II army medic who refused to bear arms, but later received the Medal of Honor for saving many of his comrades, will also screen out of competition, alongside Philippe Falardeau’s boxer movie “The Bleeder” with Naomi Watts.

The festival will close with Antoine Fuqua’s “The Magnificent Seven”, showing Denzel Washington in a modern remake of the classic about hired guns in the Old West protecting a town from thieves. British director Sam Mendes, known for James Bond movies “Skyfall” and “Spectre” heads this year’s jury. The festival runs from Aug. 31 to Sept. 10. Below are the first additions to the Venice 2016 lineup. Stay tuned for more programming announcements in the days to come. “Jackie” Is there a best picture winner in the bunch? The Venice Film Festival has unveiled its 2016 lineup, including both in competition and out of competition offerings, and with the festival’s strong track record of debuting recent best picture winners — from “Spotlight” to “Birdman” — there might be another big winner among the slate’s ranks. As had been previously announced, the festival will open with Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land,” which will later hit Toronto (and, presumably, also Telluride). The festival will close with Antoine Fuqua’s “The Magnificent Seven,” which kicks off its own festival run days earlier, when it will open TIFF.

Other picks that will also do the Venice-TIFF two-step include Tom Ford’s “Nocturnal Animals,” Denis Villeneuve’s “Arrival,” Francois Ozon’s “Frantz,” Nick Hamm’s “The Journey” and Rebecca Zlotowski’s “Planetarium.” Well-loved auteurs will also screen at the festival with new work, including Wim Wenders with his “The Beautiful Days of Aranjuez,” Terrence Malick and his long-gestating “Voyage of Time” and Kim Ki-duk debuting his latest, “The Net.” The festival will also play home to Ana Lily Amirpour’s “A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night” followup, the star-packed cannibal feature, “The Bad Batch.” Pablo Larrian’s Natalie Portman-starring Jackie O movie “Jackie” will also debut in competition. Venice regular James Franco will bring his “In Dubious Battle” to the fest. Also of note? Derek Cianfrance’s Michael Fassbender- and Alicia Vikander-starring romantic drama “The Light Between Oceans” will debut at the festival, though it will swiftly hit American screens, thanks to a set September 2 release date.

Opening Night Film 2016 Venice Film Festival, Lineup & Nominees, Winners, Photos, Updates Movies 2016 Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival is one of the oldest and most prestigious film festivals in the world, and features international avante-garde films side-by-side with the latest Hollywood blockbusters. This year, watch for the full official lineup of nominees to be unveiled in late July, followed by the 73rd edition of the Venice FIlm Festival which in 2016 runs from August 31st to September 10th. Meanwhile, keep it here for the lineup, major contenders as well as top prize winners at the 2016 Venice Film Festival 2015 Venice Film Festival rewind This year, the big winners were announced on Saturday, September 12, 2015 taking many critics by complete surprise for several reasons - including the win by an unknown first-time director Lorenzo Vigas’s film " From Afar " (Desde Allá) who took the Venice Film Festival's top prize, the Golden Lion. It was also the first Venezuelan film to ever place on the festival's official lineup.

Other winners included the Silver Lion for best director to Pablo Traper for his Argentine crime saga “The Clan", with the Grand Jury Prize going to the stop-motion film “Anomalisa”. Other contenders for this year's prizes included Eddie Redmaye's performance as " The Danish Girl " -- about the first men ever to undergo a sex-change operation. This year's unusually strong lineup included heart-pounding drama in "Everest" (starring Jake Gyllenhaal in the festival's opener) and startling transformations by Johnny Depp as a mafia informant in "Black Mass" -- and Eddie Redmayne in "The Danish Girl" about the first man ever to undergo a sex change operation. More hot tickets in this year's lineup were " Black Mass " starring Johnny Depp as the real-life mafia informant Whitey Bulger; Cary Fukunaga’s " Beasts Of No Nation " starring Idris Elba as a warlord leading child soldiers; Drake Doremus’ sci-fi drama " Equals " with Kristen Stewart; and Atom Egoyan’s revenge thriller " Remember " that provided a welcome star vehicle for 85-year-old actor Christopher Plummer.

Opening this year's festival out of competition was " Everest ", starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Robin Wright, the true story of climbers trapped on the peak by a violent snowstorm. 2015 Venice Film Festival Golden Lion Winner: "From Afar" (Desde Allá) Eddie Redmayne in "The Danish Girl" Johnny Depp as a mafia informant in "Black Mass" Idris Elba stars in "Beasts of No Nation" All about the Venice Film Festival Now heading into its 7th decade, the Venice Film Festival has changed markedly over the recent past - growing from a strictly European lineup to featuring a varied and outstanding international venue. This effectively makes the festival one of the earliest predictors of winners for other film top awards worldwide, including leading Hollywood contenders at the Oscars . The principal awards in Venice are the Leone d'Oro (Golden Lion), which is awarded for best film, and the Coppa Volpi (Volpi Cup) for best actor and actress. Venice Film Festival on the Web Around the Web, check out top sites with the latest buzz about this year's festival with information on the film program & related events, picture galleries, film clips, and a list of major Venice Film Festival entries and winners ....

La Biennale di Venezia - The official site in English & Italian, featuring the latest news, special events, all-star photo gallery, press & media information, ticket information, film festival history. IndieWIRE - Catch the latest Venice Film Festival buzz & rumors, predictions, photos & news features as awards season draws near. Venice Film Festival - Wikipedia guide with a brief history & overview, lists of winners by year dating back to 1932, related links. Venice International Film Festival - Venice for Visitors - Nice overview with related history & information on the traditional venue, plus insider tips & advice on traveling to the festival on the Lido, including maps, links. 2015 Venice Film Festival WINNERS Golden Lion: Film Festivals Around the World | Around the world Home / Around the World / Film Festivals Around the World Film Festivals Around the World August 30, 2014 Film Festivals Around the World Films for every movie buff are not mere pastime or an activity just for fun – these buffs spend a whole lot of time and effort watching, evaluating, criticizing, and building opinion on movies.

This effort is taken quite seriously as can be seen at Film Festivals and award functions like the Oscars. No wonder, countries across the world are now investing both money and time on glamorizing these International level Film Festivals as well as taking the opportunity to acknowledge great performances and productions. We list a few of the popular ones here: Toronto International Film Festival Held every September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the Toronto International Film Festival has a worldwide reputation for generating Oscar buzz. The high-profile event lasts 11 days and premieres many major films each year, and has over 1,200 member of the press in attendance. Founded in 1976, the first event was the Festival of Festivals, and had an audience of 35,000, screening 127 films from 30 countries. It was renamed the Toronto International Film Festival in 1994. The festival has grown from its initial screenings to today having an audience of over 400,000, featuring 372 films from 72 countries.

The event is non-competitive and has no official jury, but the award given each year is the People’s Choice Award, for the top feature film voted by the audience. *The King’s Speech won 4 Oscars after winning the Tiff People’s Choice Award in 2010. *Silver Linings Playbook premiered at TIFF in 2012, winning the TIFF People’s Choice Award. The film went on to be nominated for the Big Five Oscars, winning critical acclaim and many awards. *Academy Award Nominee 12 Years a Slave won the 2013 TIFF People’s Choice Award. *Six-time Academy Award Nominee Dallas Buyers Club premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. The Imitation Game, which was unveiled at the 39th Toronto International Film Festival in September 2014, bagged the Academy Award for best adapted screenplay. International Film Festival of India Now in its 45th year, the International Film Festival of India was first held in January 1952 in Mumbai.

After becoming a competitive event in its 3rd edition, in 1965, the festival has been held in Madras, Delhi, Calcutta, and Trivandrum. Since 2004, the International Film Festival of India has been held annually in Goa, India each November. The largest festival of its kind in India, the 2014 edition of the International Film Festival of India featured 178 films from 79 countries. * Tamil actor Rajinikanth received the Centenary award for Film personality of the Year. Tokyo International Film Festival Tokyo, Japan The Tokyo International Film Festival was established in 1985 and held biannually until 1991. Since 1991, the event has been held annually over about 9 days, most recently occurring in October. In 2014, the Tokyo International Film Festival held its 27th edition. The event, which was organized from October 23 to 31, screened around 200 films. The top award at the Tokyo International Film Festival is the Tokyo Sakura Grand Prix, which is given (along with $50,000) to the best film.

In 2014, the Tokyo Grand Prix was awarded to “Heaven Knows What,” directed by Josh Safdie and Benny Safdie. Shanghai International Film Festival First held in 1993, the Shanghai International Film Festival is now held each June. The top prize of the festival is the Jin Jue (Golden Goblet), awarded for best film. The festival showcases Chinese films as well as international films. For the festival’s 17th edition in 2014, nearly 900 films were screened in 35 cinemas across Shanghai. The 2014 festival received a large number of submissions, 1,808 for exhibition and 1,099 for various competitions, including the main Golden Goblet award. Hong Kong International Film Festival The Hong Kong International Film Festival, organized by the city’s International Film Festival Society, is in its 38th year, celebrating the film industry in Hong Kong and Asia, and promoting Chinese films. Taking place each Spring, the 37th Hong Kong International Film Festival screened over 290 films from 50 countries, across 11 venues around Hong Kong.

The event includes seminars and discussions as well as the film screenings, and boasts an audience of about 600,000. The festival presents a total of 9 awards in 5 categories: Young Cinema, Documentary, Short Film, FIPRESCI, and SIGNIS. Awards are presented and revealed at the Awards Gala at the end of the festival, and top awards include the Firebird Awards for Young Cinema, Documentary, and Short Film. Cannes Film Festival Some consider the Cannes Film Festival the most prestigious film festival in the world. The invitation-only event, known locally as Festival de Cannes, is held in Cannes, France each Spring at the Festivals et des Congres. The first festival was held in 1947 with films from 16 countries. Since 1955, the Palme d’Or (Golden Palm) has been the top award at the festival, awarded to the best film in the Competition category. About 20 films compete in the category, and others are selected for the other categories, such as Un Certain Regard, which features 20 films with an international scope.

The 67th annual Cannes Film Festival was held from May 14 to 25, 2014. New Zealand film director Jane Campion was the head of the jury for the main competition section. The Palme d’Or was awarded to the Turkish film Winter Sleep directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan. Berlin Film Festival Known as the Berlinale, the Berlin International Film Festival showcases European and other international films of every genre. The festival was founded in 1951, and has been held each February since 1978, and just held its 65th edition in early February. The Berlin Film Festival is one of the largest film festivals in the world in terms of public attendance. 440 films were screened at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival. It witnessed around 330,000 ticket-sales. The top prize is the Golden Bear, for best film in the Competition section, with Silver Bears awarded for individual achievements like best actor and best director. Sundance Film Festival Sundance Film Festival is held each January in Park City, Utah, lasting about 10 days.

Beginning as the US Film Festival in 1978, Sundance Institute, an organization that supports emerging artists and independent films, took over the festival in 1985. The name was changed to Sundance Film Festival, and with the help of Robert Redford as chairman, the festival was expanded to become one of the top film events in the world. In 1985, 86 films were screened in 2 theaters. Sundance Film Festival has evolved over the years, adding new categories such as short films and world documentaries. In 2013, 193 films were screened in 9 theaters to an audience of almost 46,000. In 2014, 186 films were shown in 9 theaters. Top awards include Grand Jury Prize, for films in the Dramatic and Documentary Competitions. *In 2010, 9 films that were screened at Sundance were nominated for 15 Oscars, including 4 out of 5 Best Documentary nominees. London Film Festival The BFI London Film Festival is the largest film festival in the UK, held in London each October.

Founded in 1953, 2014 will be the London Film Festival’s 58th edition. Today, the festival features about 300 films from about 50 countries, with an audience of 150,000. Top awards at the London Film Festival include the Sutherland Trophy, awarded to the most original and innovative feature, and the Grierson Award, granted to the best feature documentary. Venice International Film Festival The world’s oldest international film festival, Venice Film Festival was founded in 1932 as an exposition of international films. Part of the Venice Biennlae, the Venice International Film Festival is held each year in late summer, and had its 71st edition in 2014. Top awards at the Venice Film Festival are the Golden Lion (since 1949), for best film in Competition, as well as Silver Lion for best director, Volpi Cups awarded to actors, and the Special Jury Prize. Under the rule of Mussolini (1934-1942), the top award was the Mussolini Cup.

Roy Andersson’s ‘A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence’ bagged the Golden Lion award at the 71st film festival, while Joshua Oppenheimer’s ‘The Look of Silence was runner up’. Moscow International Film Festival Beginning in Moscow in 1935, the Moscow International Film Festival has been held regularly since 1959 and annually since 1995. The 2014 festival was held in June and was the 36th edition. Gabe Polsky’s Red Army was selected to open the festival with Matt Reeves’ Dawn of the Planet of the Apes closing it. The Japanese film My Man won the Golden George. The top award at the Moscow International Film Festival is the Golden George, which was the Golden Saint George until 2004, and has previously been called the Golden Prize and the Grand Prix. The main competition of 2013 featured 16 titles. Guadalajara International Film Festival Held each March in Guadalajara, Mexico, the Guadalajara International Film Festival has been held annually since 1986, and has become the most prestigious film festival in Latin America.

Also known as the Festival Internacional de Cine en Guadalajara (FICG), the event features mainly Spanish language films, from Mexican and international filmmakers. 2014 will be the 29th edition of the Guadalajara International Film Festival. The program features 250 film screenings. The top award, the Mayahuel award is presented to the best films in various categories, including Ibero-American feature film, documentary, short, film and others. Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO) The Panafrican Film Festival of Ouagadougou is the largest film festival in Africa, held every other year for two weeks March in Burkina Faso. The festival features films created by Africans, and primarily those filmed and produced in Africa. FESPACO fosters relationships across Africa and supports the creative contributions of artists around the continent. The Panafrican Film Festival was started in 1969, beginning with 5 African nations (Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Niger, Senegal), as well as France and the Netherlands, with 23 films in all.

The next festival in 1970 included 9 African nations (like Algeria, Tunisia, Guinea, Mali, Ghana) with 40 films. FESPACO is internationally recognized and presents the Étalon de Yennenga (Stallion of Yennenga) award to the film demonstrating “Africa’s realities,” while other awards include the Oumarou Ganda Prize for best first film and the Paul Robeson Prize for best film by African diaspora director. Festival do Rio Brazil’s capital, Rio de Janeiro, is home to the annual Festival do Rio, held each Fall for about two weeks in September and October. The festival was founded in 1999, and has become one of the biggest film festivals in South America. The 2014 Festival do Rio featured nearly 300 new or historically important films from 60 countries. The top prize at the Brazil Film Festival is the Redeemer, designed to resemble the city’s famous Christ the Redeemer statue. Three audience awards are presented to the best short film, documentary, and feature film.

Marrakech International Film Festival Held each year in Marrakech, Morocco, the Marrakech International Film Festival was established in 2001 to support emerging artists from Morocco and around Africa, and to celebrate films around the world. The event is chaired by Prince Moulay Rachid. Its 13th edition featured director Martin Scorsese as jury president, who presented the top awards. The highest award at the Marrakech International Film Festival is the Golden Star (Étoile d’Or), with 15 films in competition. Other prizes include the Jury Prize and awards for best actors, directors, and other categories, including the Cinecoles Short Film Prize. Cairo International Film Festival Founded in 1976, the Cairo International Film Festival is the first international film festival in the Middle East. In the first festival in 1976, 100 films were screened from 33 countries. The competition section included 14 films from as many countries. Top awards at the Cairo International Film Festival include the Golden Pyramid, awarded for best film, and Silver Pyramids for best director, actor and actress, screenplay, and best artistic contribution.

A special prize is given to top regional film, with the Best Arab Film Award. Read More BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Film Festival Guide Film Festival Guide The BBC News website profiles some of the world's biggest and most influential film festivals. BERLIN FILM FESTIVAL The film U-Carmen e-Khayelitsha won the Golden Bear in 2005 Where: Berlin, Germany When: February Top prize: Golden Bear History: Alfred Hitchcock's Rebecca, starring Joan Fontaine, opened the very first Berlin Film Festival - or Berlinale - in 1951. It was set up to try and recapture some of the artistic glory days of the 1920s, while much of the city was still under reconstruction after World War II. Structure: The Berlinale is divided into different sections: Competition; Panorama; Kinderfilmfest; Perspektive Deutsches Kino; the International Forum of New Cinema; Retrospective; and Homage. These categories include screenings of big international movies; independent and art-house productions; world cinema and domestic films. Festival facts: About 350 films are shown at the two-week long festival every year, most of which are world or European premieres.

As well as being one of the world's most prestigious film festivals, with 150,000 tickets sold, the Berlinale is also one of the biggest. More than 16,000 film professionals, including 3,600 journalists from about 80 countries are accredited for the festival every year. The Palais is the hub of activity at Cannes Where: Cannes, Cote d'Azur, France When: May Top prize: Palme d'Or History: The inaugural Cannes Film Festival was held in September 1939, but it was not held again until after World War II. The event moved to April during the 1950s and the Palme d'Or prize was introduced in 1955. The festival established itself during the 1960s, and has since secured its status as the world's most prestigious. Structure: It is made up of seven major sections - In Competition; Out of Competition; Un Certain Regard; Cinefondation; Critics' Week; Directors' Fortnight and Marche du Film.

Films screening In Competition are nominees for the prestigious Palme d'Or film prize, while those Out of Competition tend to be big international films that do not meet the competition criteria. Un Certain Regard was set up in 1978 to act as a showcase for world cinema; while three awards are given to the best short and medium-length films in Cinefondation. Festival facts: About 20 feature films compete each year for the Palme d'Or. Previous winners have included Michael Moore and Quentin Tarantino. Unlike the Oscars, the top prize is frequently shared between two films Famous films to claim the Palme d'Or include Apocalypse Now, Taxi Driver, La Dolce Vita, and The Third Man. The Cannes Film Festival attracts over 40,000 movie industry workers every year. Mike Leigh's Vera Drake opened the 2004 festival Where: London, UK When: October/November Top prize: Non-competitive History: The London Film Festival started in 1956 when a group of film critics headed by the famous Dilys Powell - the film critic for the Sunday Times - got together over dinner. They discussed the festivals at Cannes and Venice and agreed that London needed one too.

Its aim was to give the public the opportunity to see films from around the world that were not being shown in the cinema. The first festival featured 20 films all shown at the National Film Theatre on the South Bank. Structure: The London Film Festival is split into a number of 'strands' - Film on the Square; New British Cinema; French Revolutions; Cinema Europa; World Cinema; Experimenta; Short Cuts and Animation. The selected films are a mix of features, documentaries, shorts, and animation - all of which must be UK premieres. Festival facts: The festival is one of Europe's largest public film events, screening about 280 films from 60 countries. Although non-competitive, the British Film Institute awards the Sutherland Trophy to the maker of the most original and imaginative first feature film screened during the festival. Robert Redford has had a huge influence on Sundance Where: Park City, Utah, USA When: January Top prize: Grand Jury Prize History: In 1978 the Utah Film Commission established The Utah/United States Film Festival in Salt Lake City. Three years later, actor Robert Redford established The Sundance Institute to actively engage aspiring filmmakers, with the festival.

In 1985 the festival became part of the Sundance Institute and added international films to its program. It was officially renamed the Sundance Film Festival in 1991. Structure: Premieres; American Spectrum; Park City at Midnight; Frontier; Special Screenings; and Sundance Collection The categories give a platform to work from established US and international directors, emerging US film-makers, experimental world cinema, and draw on Sundance's Collection archive of independent cinema. Festival facts: More than 100 feature-length films are screened every year, with a high number of them world premieres. Sundance attracts more than 20,000 people each year. Not only did Quentin Tarantino's directorial debut Reservoir Dogs premiere at Sundance, he actually produced it with formal guidance from the Sundance Institute. The Toronto Film Festival was established in 1976 Where: Toronto, Canada When: September Top prize: People's Choice Award History: The Toronto Film Festival started out in 1976 as a 'festival of festivals' - a collection of films from other festivals. Throughout the years, it has grown in size, and is considered by many to be only second to Cannes in terms of influence.

Structure: Canada First; Canadian Open Vault; Canadian Retrospective; Short Film; Contemporary World Cinema; asp> Dialogues; Discovery Masters; Midnight Madness, National Cinema, Planet Africa, Real to reel; Special Presentations; Viacom galas; Visions; Wavelengths. The festival showcases the best in emerging and established home-grown talent, international film-makers, world cinema, documentaries and avant-garde film. Festival facts: 1981 - Chariots of Fire - which went on to win the best picture Oscar - premiered at Toronto in 1981. Other winners of the People's Choice Award have included Hotel Rwanda (2004), Whale Rider (2002), and Strictly Ballroom (1992). Actor Robert De Niro is one of Tribeca's founders Where: New York, USA When: April Top prize: Best Narrative Feature Film History: The first annual Tribeca Film Festival was set up in 2002 by actor Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal in response to the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on 11 September 2001.

It attracted more than 150,000 people and screened premieres of studio films Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, About A Boy, and Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. The festival has grown considerably in four years. Structure: Tribeca is split into a number of sections: Spotlight; Special Screening; Competition for Narrative Features; Competition for Documentary Feature; Showcase; Restored/Rediscovered; Midnight; Shorts in Competition; Family Film Festival; Tribeca Talks Panel Series; Special Events; NY, NY; Family Film Festival; Wide Angle. Festival Facts: Tribeca is short for "triangle below Canal" - the area south of Soho in Manhattan bounded by Canal on the north, Broadway on the east, Barclay on the south and the Hudson River on the west. It was founded to celebrate New York's position as a major film-making location and to contribute to the long-term recovery of lower Manhattan.

Actress Scarlett Johanssen was on the jury at Venice in 2004 Where: Venice, Italy When: August/September Top prize: Golden Lion History: The Venice Film Festival - or Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica - is the oldest film festival still in existence. It was first held in 1932 as part of the 18th Venice Biennale, and was held on the terrace of the Hotel Excelsior on the Venice Lido and attracted more than 25,000 people. The first film to be shown was Rouben Mamoulian's Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, while other screenings included films like It happened one night, by Frank Capra, Frankenstein by James Whale, and Zemlja by Aleksandr Dovzenko. The festival was not held again until 1934, with a competition that included 19 countries, and attracted 300 accredited journalists. The festival was held three times during World War II and has been held annually - with some exceptions - since then. Not all of the years were competitive.

Structure: The Mostra is made up of four sections: Venezia; Out of Competition; Orizzonti; Corto Cortissimo. They run alongside International Critik's Week; Venice Days and Film Marketplace. While the Venezia features 20 feature films in competition, the Out of Competition section showcases some of the biggest films of the year. Orizzonti aims to provide a platform for new trends in cinema; while Corto Cortissimo is a competition for short films. Festival facts: Films that were screened as world-premieres at the 61st Venice Film Festival in 2004 were nominated for 16 at the Oscars - the highest ever for the festival. They included Vera Drake, Shark Tale, Collateral and Finding Neverland.

Question: The oldest film festival in the world awards the "Golden Lion" as its top prize. In which city is it held?
Answer: Venice